NickCatford 0 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 Can any one tell me when the Rank Hovis McDougal (formerly Be-Ro) flour packing plant at Daybrook closed and when was it demolished. Did the present Madford retail park replace it or was the site used for something else first which was later replaced by Madford. I have studied some old maps. The 1973 6" map shows that the plant has been extended with another building covering the old station site to the south. The 1980 6" map shows this new building has been extended almost up to Mansfield Road. The last map I have been able to find is 1989 which shows no change so presumably the plant was still operating then. Can anyone help Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
taxi ray 170 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 The retail park was opened in 1994, it seems a lot longer than that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 Doesn't answer the original question, but it shows where everything was. http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NCCC002959&prevUrl= Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,160 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 The two most popular brands of flour in my days at Marsdens/Farrands in the 60s were both Notts products ie, Be-ro as mentioned and Smiths of Worksop,both used to do 3lb and 1lb bags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 I well remember the Bero flour factory near Daybrook station in the 1960s when Firbeck and myself were walking derelict railway lines. I have no idea when it closed but do know that they took over the land occupied by the derelict Daybrook station. I have since heard that both the station and the flour factory were haunted. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 The plumbing company (Sturtons) I worked for in the 70s did some of the maintenance works there. It was one of the few places I disliked working, there was so much dust the dangers of explosion and fire were enormous. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 Just found this which someone had posted on Facebook. My mum had both of these. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 My Mum had the one on the right...she often said that the girl was dressed in the same outfit as her (my Mum) school uniform at Queens Walk. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted December 1, 2015 Report Share Posted December 1, 2015 I've still got the red cover one. My daughter used it last Saturday to make some scones (but she substituted margarine for the lard!) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,730 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Certainly remember the right hand book. But, I had no idea that Be-Ro was a local product. Col Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Posted in another thread somewhere on here, we have my mums old Bero book, like the one on right in #7, it's in a sorry state now but I managed to get a new reprint copy a few years ago on ebay, which my wife still uses for scones etc.. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Does anyone know - or remember - what Be-Ro stood for ? It was a compound word, made up from either the ingredients of the product or the company name. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Google it. It's all there! Phil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 So obvious I never thought of it ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 I've had a few tenuous connections with Be Ro over the years. Initially, back in the fifties, I used to walk past the Daybrook factory every schoolday on my way to buy a return ticket at Daybrook station for the journey to Basford North on my way to Mellish. This was a train journey of about four minutes. I didn't live far enough away from the school, as the crow flies, to get a free travel pass although others who lived a few hundred yards further away had a pass even though they travelled from the same station. Such was the idiocy of those in power at the time. Secondly, when I was in the accountancy profession, Be Ro were clients of ours although I never was assigned to that particular job. Thirdly, Be Ro were customers of my old company. We used to make all the packaging for both the Nottingham and Newcastle Factories but this was before my time. Be Ro ultimately sold out to Rank Hovis Mcdougal. The managing director at Daybrook was Tom Bell. His father, also Tom, founded the factory in Newcastle. The younger Tom came to Nottingham in the thirties and built the Daybrook factory. Tom built a house on Oxton Hill and was a great benefactor to Oxton village. He offered two thousand pounds towards the cost of the village hall if the village could raise the same amount (this was a large sum at the time). The money was raised and the hall was built. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Righto, Google says Be-Ro from Bell's Royal Flour. No anecdotes though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 There was quite an article about it in NEP Bygones some time back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 Hre are a couple more images for BeRo: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MelissaJKelly 2,121 Posted December 5, 2015 Report Share Posted December 5, 2015 This is still sold in Asda. Saw it yesterday. Only recognised it because of this forum 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lynne Woodhouse 0 Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 I worked there as part of Mr Kipling side from 1988 and we moved out in 1992 to Alfreton. The rest of Rhm factory carried on for a few more years. I left after 16 years after being made redundant when the business was sold from Manor Bakeries to Premier Foods. It was a brilliant company to work for prior to that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 491 Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 My ex wife worked lates there around 1978/9 ish. She didn't last long, I think it was a week. What have you been doing tonight dear?,, Stacking flour bags on pallets. What have you been doing tonight then dear?,, Stacking flour bags on pallets. What did you do tonight then dear?,, Stacked flour bags on pallets, then gave my notice in.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,293 Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 Would the BeRo factory have been visible from a double decker travelling towards Nottingham on Mansfield Rd? As a little-un in the late fifties I always knew when we were not far from Nottingham when we passed the Home Brewery and Daybrook Laundry but I can't recall ever seeing a BeRo sign or factory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,079 Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 If you look at the white wooden clad house's on I think Nottingham Rd near City hospital these were built on the old Daybrook Railway line, the first one's built were at the other end which was Daybrook/Arnold they were at the back of the BeRo factory. Most of the people rehoused there were when St Ann's was pulled down. At the time I did not know about the factory being there, but being one of the first to move in if ever master and i went out we would go back to Nottingham. Well one New Years eve Master went out I of cause was baby sitting, any way after having a few pint;s left the bus in Daybrook square and decided to see if he could find a short cut home, to cut a long story short, he was chased by a dog, climbed over a barb wire fence ripped his pants but did arrive home.He did find out after wards that he had gone though the flour factory. I remember it like it was yesterday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 8 hours ago, Oztalgian said: Would the BeRo factory have been visible from a double decker travelling towards Nottingham on Mansfield Rd? As a little-un in the late fifties I always knew when we were not far from Nottingham when we passed the Home Brewery and Daybrook Laundry but I can't recall ever seeing a BeRo sign or factory. Do you remember seeing or being aware of Daybrook Station in those days ? The Be-Ro factory was alongside/behind the station. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 491 Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 It should have been visible, it dwarfed the station. Image below is take from over Mansflield road Vale Hotel ish. Be-Ro, in the centre of the image, was roughly where Homebase is now, ( a bit further North into thier car park) see Google link https://www.google.com/maps/@52.9930481,-1.1396765,314a,35y,39.4t/data=!3m1!1e3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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